The Phoenician Scheme
After the meandering narratives of The French Dispatch and Asteroid City, filmmaking wizard Wes Anderson returns to form.
Brace for impact: Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera.
Image courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features.
In his latest entry, the whimsical Wes Anderson continues his infamous and meticulous visual style. Lately his ensembles all seem to be waiting for Godot, but here, his characters take action in a clear, grounded plot that explores the interplay that arises when mixing business politics with family dynamics. Beyond its characteristic absurdity, Anderson’s latest blends his brand of quirky charm with a poignancy that was lacking amidst the existential wanderings of Asteroid City and The French Dispatch. Where Anderson’s recent films have felt like intellectual exercises, The Phoenician Scheme has humour, heart and hand grenades. Devotees waiting for Anderson to recapture his unique magic will be pleased by the wit, charm, visual grandeur—and most importantly, a return to engaging plotting. All of which have made Wes Anderson one of cinema’s most distinctive, recognisable and beloved auteurs. Outside of the outstanding 2023 short, the Oscar-winning The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Phoenician Scheme is easily his finest creation since Isle of Dogs (2018) and proof that the Anderson magic is still alive and well.
At the heart of the film is Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), a wealthy industrial magnate determined to secure his legacy through a sprawling infrastructure project. Following multiple assassination attempts and near-death experiences — including six plane crashes — he summons his estranged nun-in-training daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) to serve as heir apparent. Against the backdrop of high-stakes business deals, the pair set off on a quest across Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia to fulfil his scheme. Anderson has always been at his best when his characters evolve and change in meaningful ways. The strained bond between Liesl’s moral compass and Zsa-zsa’s unscrupulous tactics provides a surprising emotional connection.
In her first major film role, Mia Threapleton (daughter of Kate Winslet) holds her own next to the seasoned, exceptional Del Toro, bringing a raw authenticity to Liesl’s internal conflict in a career-making performance. Through a focus on the father/daughter relationship, the eccentric characters encountered along the way enrich, rather than detract. Michael Cera, who feels tailor-made for Anderson awkwardness, makes his first Anderson turn as Bjorn, Zsa-zsa’s insect-obsessed tutor. Previously tapped for Asteroid City, the production ended up aligning with the birth of Cera’s first son. The rest of the eclectic ensemble cast also delivers, from Riz Ahmed’s disillusioned Prince Farouk to Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks as businessmen locked in a high-stakes basketball game. In addition to Andersonverse returns from Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright and Benedict Cumberbatch, there are also cameo appearances by F. Murray Abraham, Donald Sumpter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe and Anderson’s most frequent collaborator, Bill Murray.
Visually, The Phoenician Scheme is quintessential Wes Anderson — from its meticulous production design to its symmetrical shots and rich colour palette, the film is an absolute treat for the eyes. Anderson has long been known for his painstaking attention to detail, and this outing is no exception. Notably, the famous works of art highlighted in the film are not reproductions but the real deal, with actual masterpieces appearing in Zsa-zsa’s prized collection and throughout the film. Renoir’s Enfant Assis en Robe Bleue, Magritte’s The Equator and Juriaen Jacobsz’s The Dog Fight are not merely expensive set dressings but speak to an overall theme of art and commerce. Only Wes Anderson could make the collision of high finance and high art somehow feel so heartwarming. Anderson dedicated the film to his late father-in-law, an engineer and businessman with various projects in the Middle East — all of which he organised into shoe boxes.
CHAD KENNERK
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, Donald Sumpter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bill Murray.
Dir Wes Anderson, Pro Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, John Peet, Steven Rales, Screenplay Wes Anderson from a story by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Ph Bruno Delbonnel, Pro Des Adam Stockhausen, Ed Barney Pilling, Music Alexandre Desplat, Costumes Milena Canonero, Dialect coach Carla Meyer.
Indian Paintbrush/American Empirical Pictures-Focus Features/Universal Pictures.
105 mins. Germany/USA. 2025. UK Rel: 23 May 2025/US Rel: 30 May 2025. Cert. 15/PG-13.
